The Infinite Library Wiki

ABOUT The Infinite Library is a novel written by Canadian author Kane X. Faucher and published in 2011 by the US independent publisher, Civil Coping Mechanisms. It is heavily indexed on the thought experiment of Jorge Luis Borges’ short story, “The Library of Babel.”

Synopsis:

Follow Alberto Gimaldi, code-cracker and bibliophile, as he unravels the mystery of an infinite library and discovers the treachery of the librarian Castellemare. What is the hidden plot of the library, and how will this impossible place set into motion a catastrophic narrative by the artful textual manipulation of unwitting agents in the real world? What is the buried and secret connection between all text and all life? A novel of dark mystery, infinity, and a compelling story for all those who love books and book-related enigmas. Codes, ciphers, and the sinister await those who would set foot inside the Infinite Library.

Rationale/Themes

This book asks after the concept of infinity in its potential (i.e., pre-Peano and Cantor) sense. It does so according to Borges' own understanding of infinity (which is actually non-mathematical in the formal sense), and thus what would a truly infinite library look like, bearing in mind that Borges' own Library of Babel was not composed of an infinite number of books. Instead of showing utmost fidelity to magical realism, the novel traces an irreal arc, a signature of Barth's writing.

Characterization is intentionally flat to allow the space of the narrative to unfold. In alternating or nested chapters, readers “read along” with the main character, Gimaldi. The books he reads, and when he reads particular sections, is vital and timely to how the plot unfolds. One of the elements at play is how what is being read interacts with the environment outside of the book, and vice versa. The novel makes frequent use of the frame-tale narrative by presenting what appear to be disparate short story sequences; these are seeds that “resolve” or rather germinate in subsequent volumes. The use of seeding entails that the first novel in the trilogy is partially weighted on foundation-building. Motifs include stairways, mirrors, books, infinity, intertext, synthesis, and especially information.

Sources

previous incarnations of some sections of the novel have appeared in various literary magazines such as Ward 6 Review, Ken*Again, Copious Magazine, The Journal of Experimental Fiction, and Camera Obscura. One of the sections, “The Stairwell of Mequitzli” won the Camera Obscura Outstanding Fiction Award in their inaugural issue.

The Making Of...

The novel grew out of a short story called Codex Infinitum, published in 2006 by Copious Magazine. In 2008, I decided to expand upon it. During the winter break in late 2008, I was writing a series of interconnected Borgesian-style short stories dealing with book-related mysteries while vacationing in Florida, and it occurred to me that all of these seemed to be branching off from the main narrative of the original Codex Infinitum. Once a first draft was completed in 2010, I had sent it around to a few publishers who passed on it. After considerable revision, I resubmitted it in early 2011 when it was accepted with much enthusiasm by the new indie press, Civil Coping Mechanisms.

Influences

A few of the more iconic short stories by Jorge Luis Borges figure prominently in this volume and are referred to by name as elements of the plot. Peripheral influences include Arturo-Perez Reverte’s The Dumas Club, Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum, and David Czuchlewski’s The Muse Asylum.

The Ideal Reader

Those who appreciate the influences named above. The novel’s genre is mystery, but also literary fiction. It is of interest to those who are interested in books, book history, metaphysics, codes/ciphers, and frame-tales. It is not a novel for those who enjoy more popular fare in this genre such as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

The following first chapter excerpt is NOT how the text appears in either the paperback or the Kindle edition. This is a stylized version making use of old paper textures and the JSL Ancient font (created by J. Lee, modeled on the classic Caslon font family in use by typesetters in the 17th and 18th centuries)